HPLC-DAD Analysis and Antioxidant Potential of Ferula assa foetida Resin Ethanol Extract

Abstract

Ferula assa foetida, commonly consumed as a healthy beverage, has been demonstrated to have various biological activities, including  antioxidant activity. The present study aims to investigate the chemical composition and the antioxidant effect of F. assa foetida resin  ethanol extract. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the extract was done according to standard procedure. The chemical constituents  of F. assa foetida resin ethanol extract was identified using high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector- electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS) analysis. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using 1,1- diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacity assays. Qualitative phytochemical analysis revealed the  presence of various bioactive phytochemicals including steroids, saponins, flavonoids, phenols, coumarins, and cardiac glycosides. Eleven compounds were identified from the HPLC analysis of the ethanol extract of F. assa foetida resin. These include vanillic acid, p-coumaric  acid, ferulic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, caffeic acid derivative, chrysin, rosmarinic acid, umbelliprenin  and galbanic acid. The extract exhibited high DPPH free radical scavenging activity with a percentage inhibition of 96.5% against 98.3% for  ascorbic acid. In addition, the ethanol extract of F. assa foetida displayed a moderate total antioxidant capacity with a value of 3.31  mg AAE/g. On the basis of the findings from this study, Ferula assa foetida resin extract could therefore be considered as an alternative  source of antioxidant agent that can prevent against oxidant stressinduced damage.